Monthly Archives: April 2010

I’ve been watching this particular 40 some odd second clip in “2001: A Space Odyssey” and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how Kubrick and his special effects team did this. Any ideas? Any specific stories involving this particular effect or insight into how it was done? I feel like I’ve thought of everything from super imposed images to editing tricks, but I just can’t figure it out…

Here’s a quick video I did as a result of a curious moment in “Casablanca” that’s captured my attention for quite a while. I’m hoping to do more of these types of projects, so any comments on the form, format or content would be appreciated.

There are some things that I like about multiplexes. I know that there are a litany of complaints by people who argue that multiplexes are destroying America’s cinematic culture, by promoting a type of cinema that appeals to a mass audience. And they kill small films because, with space at these large movie theaters taken up almost exclusively by large Hollywood films, it makes it hard for a film to turn a profit, or even get screened in some markets.

All of those things may be true, but they’re just so hard to not admire. I mean, an enormous temple dedicated to film. How can you not love that? Or, at the very least, how can you fully despise that? I love walking through the doors of a large movie theater and being hit with a blast of cool air accompanied by a whiff of overpriced popcorn. I love the kids lining up for the latest animated offering and even the defeated look of the parents as they look at each other with a glance that says that they’d really rather be seeing something else. I love the big, captain’s chair seats the are perched in the steep, stadium like theater set-up. It makes seeing a film incredibly comfortable and appealing. It makes it easy to forget the problems that await your return to the daylight after 2 hours in the comforting, dark womb of the theater. Continue reading →

So, I’ve scoped the lay of the land. Pinpointed some things that have been done and some things that might change. But, what will it look like? What will film criticism look like as it migrates from the page to the internet? Continue reading →

It seems that one of the greatest challenges facing bloggers is shedding the stigma of being a blogger. I think that there is a lack of authority, deserved or not, that can be associated with blogs and bloggers. I know that when I started my first blog project I had to overcome that stigma and fear of it being perpetually associated with some sort of megalomaniacal vanity project. However, as I’ve mentioned in the last part to this article, it seems just as, if not more, reasonable to view most bloggers as fans of film. Their writing can be of questionable quality but what cannot be questioned is their desire to share their love and appreciation of film.

Just a quick note in between parts of this lengthy article I’m writing. This is an entire article about blogging about film, film critics, et cetera. So, I’m going to also spend a lot of time scouring the depths of the internet to find the best film sites I can find and linking to them on the right. Keep an eye out for new links to be coming soon. No reason for that links section to be as empty as it is because there really is a lot of great material out there. Let’s find it. If you have any sites that you think are worthwhile, leave a comment and we can add it to an ever expanding blogroll.

except not really, because that's more competition for me. growing up in america has taught me to want to crush the competition. so read my blog, don't start your own.

How will this competition with established, paid critics change the way that people write about films online?

Well, first of all it needs to be noted that amateur bloggers are already competing with paid and established critics. Well, maybe competing isn’t the right way to think about it. Perhaps the best way to think of it is that amateurs and professionals have been cohabiting the warm home of the Internet for years. You can trace back the ubiquitous Peter Travers teaser quote to its source and see what films Roger Ebert is giving the meaningless thumbs up to, and its all for free. The game changer, if one can really call it that, is that many, if not all, of these critics will soon be behind the pay-to-read fence, and my guess is that putting them in that gilded cage might push some readers to the more alternative sources of criticism and discussion. Continue reading →